Experts weigh in, and they’re high on Arizona Wildcats

The Arizona Wildcats will enter the 2012-13 season with one of the nation’s top-rated freshman classes and a fifth-year senior transfer in point guard Mark Lyons.

They’re bringing high expectations with them.

In a piece on CBSSports.com, five NCAA hoops writers gave some preseason predictions.

Jeff Goodman, Doug Gottlieb and Jeff Borzello have the Wildcats winning the Pac-12 (UCLA got the other two votes), with Goodman and Gottlieb each picking Arizona to reach the Final Four.

Most Wildcats fans would take that kind of season and call it a success, but Gottlieb goes even further and predicts Arizona to win the National Championship, led by Freshman of the Year Brandon Ashley and Coach of the Year Sean Miller.

Of course, none of this means the Wildcats are destined for big things this season. It’s early October and the team has yet to play a meaningful game. But expectations are there, and that’s certainly better than the alternative.